Adjustable supporting leg



Sept. 23, 1941.

Filed March 6, 1941 Patented Sept. 23, 1941 UNITED STA-'flesk vPA'IAENTo FFICE 4 ADJUSTABLE SUPPORTING LEG Olof S. Burman, liiinneapolis.Minn.Y Applieatiqn March 6, 194i, serialNo. 381,971

4 Claims.

My invention provides an extremely simple and highly efcient means forapplying adjustable feet or floor-engaging elements to the lower ends ofangle iron legs. Angle iron legs are quite eX- tensively used forsupporting laundry tubs and various other devices such as used inlaundries and the like. The invention consists not only in an improvedproduct but an improved process of producing the same. Commercial rolledsteel angle irons make strong and cheap legs, but so far as I know,satisfactory feet for such legs have not been provided. Such feet to besatisfactory must be adjustable to adapt the legs to uneven oors.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated my improved adjustablefoot applied to an angle iron leg.

Both the process and the product are illustrated in connection with theaccompanying drawing wherein like characters indicate like partsthroughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation with some parts broken away showing theinvention applied to the lower ends of the angle iron legs of a laundrytub or the like;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the parts shown in Fig, 2 looking at the samein the direction of the arrow marked adjacent to said Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective showing the notched lower end of theleg before the footforming elements are applied thereto; and

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective showing the nutforming element of thefoot structure.

In Fig. 1, the numeral I indicates the body of a laundry tub or thelike, the same having depending angle iron legs II. In carrying out theprocess I cut a longitudinal notch I2 in the lower end of the leg. Thisnotch is cut in the medial plane of the angle of the cross section ofthe leg through the apex of the angle and leaves an abrupt stop shoulderI3 standing above the sharp or bevelled edges I 2' of the notch I2.

To form the body of the foot structure I preferably cut oli a shortsection of a rectangular steel bar and turn or cut therein a deep notchI4 that forms a neck I that provides the block as a. main body ornut-forming portion I6 and a rather thin head Il. The nut-forming blockI5 is provided with a tapped or internally screwthreaded hole I8 toreceive a' foot-forming bolt screw, the head of which is adapted to reston the floor.

The block or element just noted and shown in Fig. 5 is then driven intothe lower end of the notched leg with the nut block I6 within the anglethereof and with the head Il riding on the sharp edges I2 of the notch.The neck I5 will closely t the notch and the bevelled edges of theflanges of the angle iron will closely engage the neck I5 thereby veryfirmly uniting the nut block to the leg. The nut block should be drivenback until the hea-d II is stopped against the shoulder I3. This drivencondition of the foot-forming element in well shown in Fig. 2. Thenut-forming block I6 adjacent to the neck I5 is preferably bevelled atI6 so that it will cooperate with the head I'I to pinch or tightlyengage the bevelled sides of the notch. In fact the sharp edges I2' willtend to cut into the head Il and may be slightly upset by the drivingaction so that the frictional union between the leg and the block willbe very secure and amply sufficient to prevent any accidentaldisplacement of the block.

Very obviously the bolt or screw I9 gives a large range of easyadjustment of the legs to any kind of a oor regardless of the unevennessthereof.

The process is probably clear from the foregoing statements but may besummarized as follows:

(a) 'Ihe notch is cut through the apex of the angle in the medial planeof the cross section of the angle and the stop shoulder I3 is formed,which latter projects materially above the sharp edges formed on the cutanges of the angle iron by the notch;

(b) The block-forming element is formed from a rectangular piece ofmetal, such as that cut from a steel bar, by turning down and formingthe neck with the nut-forming body and head;

(c) The nut-forming or main body portion of the block is bored throughand internally tapped;`

(d) The block thus formed is driven into the notch with the tapped nutportion Within the angle of the leg and with the head of the blockagainst the stop shoulder I3; and

(e) The foot-forming bolt, preferably in the form of a machine bolt, isapplied to the nut.

The above order may be varied somewhat but must be performed in properorder to accomplish the making and assembling of the parts. If desired,of course, a lock nut might be applied to the threads of the bolt I9,but inasmuch as thev head of the bolt will rest upon the floor, and

I9 which is preferably in the form of a machine 55 there will be nomovement of the tub or supported medial plane that intersects the apexof the crossk section of said leg, with a longitudinal notch, and a nutblock having a reduced neck terminating in a head, said block in itsbody having an internally threaded passage, and an adjustablefoot-forming bolt having threaded engagement therewith,

said block being applied in the reentrant angle of said leg with itsneck in said slot and with its head riding on the edges formed by saidslot.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 in which said notch terminatesagainst an abrupt shoulder formed by the projecting apex of the leg, andin which the head on said neck is forced against and stopped by saidshoulder.

3. The structure dened in claim 1 in which said notch terminates againstan abrupt shoulder formed by the projecting apex of the'leg, and inwhich the head on said neck is forced against and stopped by saidshoulder, the said slot being formed with parallel edge portions andsharp upper edges which latter tightly engage said head.

4. The structure dened in claim 1 in which there is a tight drivingengagement of the neck, head and body of said block and the slotted endof said leg.

OLOF S. BURMAN.

